Photo Spotlights

Christie Bielmeier, an RIT fifth-year mechanical engineering major, earned first runner-up at competition sponsored by Cognex Corp., May 11, in Natick, Mass. Christie's creation of a automated drink mixer also earned her the "People's Choice" award and a Kodak digital camera. Christie was one of three finalists among entrants from 10 universities, each challenged to use an Cognex In-Sight digital video camera in a unique application.

Jason Dederich, second-year glass and industrial design major, left, and Gabriela Ruiz, first-year graphic design major, try their hand (and legs) at rock climbing, May 12, during RIT's annual Springfest.

RIT students Gus Mancini (left) and Anatoly Shilman battle it out in a jousting match May 10 during a Phi Kappa Psi fundraiser to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.

At a groundbreaking ceremony at RIT May 10, RIT President Al Simone; Frontier CEO Marty Mucci; Senator Jim Alesi; Donald Boyd, director of the IT Collaboratory; Walter Wolf, acting dean of the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences; and Jeffrey Lasky, head of the IT lab for which the groundbreaking ceremony took place, break ground for the IT lab, a cutting-edge facility for R&D in upstate New York.

In an effort to fight hunger in Rochester, RIT students prepare peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches on May 9 for about a half-dozen local sites including Friendship Nursery Center, Open Door Mission and St, Joseph’s House. Food donations for the project, dubbed PB Jam 2001, are being provided by Genesee Valley Foodlink and Wegmans. The program, which continues May 10, is sponsored by RIT Hillel.

An RIT art student makes the most of a spring day, painting the flowers in bloom.

The Brick City Singers perform at RIT May 3. The all-male a cappella group is made up of RIT students and has been performing for five years.

Gov. George Pataki announces RIT will receive $14 million to create a new Strategically Targeted Academic Research (STAR) Center which will be known as the Information Technology Collaboratory. Pictured left to right are Pataki, State Assemblyman Joe Robach, Sen. James Alesi, RIT President Al Simone, Executive Director of the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR) Dr. Russell Bessette, and State Assemblyman Joe Morelle. The STAR Center, announced during a press conference at RIT on May 3, includes partners University of Buffalo and Alfred University.

Photographer Jason Rearick snaps a picture of RIT student Rebecca May among the trees May 2 for an upcoming edition of the RIT student magazine.

Nancy Donatucci of Neighborhood HOPE teaches Rochester-area elementary school students strategies for resolving conflict on April 26 at the 12th annual Education for Peace Conference at RIT.

Ralph Barnes of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Rochester chapter, makes injection-molded stars and screwdrivers for Rochester middle school students at the 10th annual E Engineering and Technology Fair held at the George H. Clark gymnasium at RIT April 27. More than 800 students participated.

Valerie Sirianni (back) and Korrie Kamp, both RIT Civil Engineering Technology students, practice with the RIT concrete canoe in preparation for competition sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers, April 28, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Also at the event, another group of RIT civil engineering technology students will compete in a steel bridge assembly competition.